Dreams of Despair
by StarrySky0103
Summary: Hope's Peak Academy. A school for the talented, for the above average, for the hopes of the world. They gather together with high hopes... only to fall within the depths of despair. Sakimoto Hikari was one of them, along with 15 other students. But will she meet an arrogant boy who gives her back her lost hope? SET IN DANGAN RONPA 1 TOGAMI/OC
1. Prologue

**Dreams of Despair**

"So this is the famous Hope's Peak Academy, huh? Fancy," I said, looking at the huge building. I looked down at my paper.

_'Congratulations! You, the Super Duper High School Level Doctor/Scientist, are one of the few who have been chosen to attend the famous Hope's Peak Academy, where all your talents can shine!"_

"Super Duper High School Level Doctor/Scientist… What an unnecessarily long title." I re-adjusted the strap of my dark brown bag that hung around my shoulder. I was wearing my white doctor's coat. Under it, I wore a dress. A black elastic band circled under my breasts. The area of my chest, above the band, was white with a red ribbon on the middle of the collar. The area under the elastic band, the rest of my dress, was red and flowed outwards, stopping a few inches above my knees, so it was easy to move in. It looked slightly like a girl's uniform in Japan. I had black heels with a red ribbon on the tip. I fingered the heart-shaped locket around my neck, my most precious treasure. "Hope's Peak Academy, the school that gathers the top students of various fields and aims to help them grow, the school where countless people with amazing talents graduated from. Huh… Did I make a mistake in coming? No turning back now." Those were my last words before I took a step through the gates and fell into the darkness.


	2. Chapter 1: The Start of My Despair

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Dangan Ronpa.**

**CHAPTER 1: The Start of My Despair**

My eyes slowly fluttered open. I blinked a few times, trying to perceive where I was. When it finally cleared up, I took in my surroundings and finally came to the realization that I was in a classroom. I stood up and furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. Why in the world were there steel plates on the wall? I walked towards it and lightly tapped my knuckles against it.

_Bang. Bang._

Yep. Definitely steel plates. And very sturdy and thick also. From the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of a paper on the desk where a teacher would usually sit. I grabbed it and saw a message written in horrible handwriting. It was also in crayon. CRA-YON. How unprofessional. My eyes moved right and left as I quickly read what was on the sheet. My eyes narrowed as I did so.

_'Congratulations on Enrolling! A new term has begun. A fresh start. This school will become the world you guys live in. (Monokuma wrote 'omaera' おまえら __which is a very rude way of saying you all) The entrance ceremony will start at 8 o'clock in the gym.'_

_ "_Omaera?" Such rude language… Something isn't right. I looked at the clock to see that it was already 8. Leaving that for now, I left the class in search of the gym.

After taking several twists and turns, I finally found the door with the sign 'Gym' hanging above it. I took a deep breath before pushing the double doors open.

**THIRD P.O.V.**

The doors of the gym opened and everyone turned to look at the newcomer. Their eyes landed on a petite, skinny girl with light blonde hair and dark azure eyes. She wore a white lab coat and had a uniform-like dress underneath it. She looked at the crowd with indifferent eyes, not seeming the least bit embarrassed or intimidated by all the stares, some welcoming, some menacing, and some apathetic. A boy with black hair and red eyes in a white uniform pointed a finger at her.

"You there! You're late! The note said to be here at 8 o' clock! We've been waiting for you." She just stared at him before turning to look at the others.

"Are you stupid? Who the hell cares about punctuality in this confusing situation?" a girl with pink hair and revealing clothes snapped.

"Hey, so you're a freshman too?" a boy with afro-like hair asked. "You're kinda cute. You know this school is pretty weird."

"There's sixteen of us then," an overweight boy with glasses announced.

A short kid with a green top and light colored skirt raised her hand. "Um, did you wake up in a classroom too?" She nodded. "I knew it. Everyone else did too."

"Everyone lost consciousness, woke up, then gathered here. An odd story, don't you agree." This girl had black curly hair in two long pigtails and wore a gothic Lolita dress.

"What the hell is with this place?" A guy with a weird hair style cursed.

"Don't tell this is like a kidnapping or something." A boy with fiery red hair and a short beard spoke.

"It's probably some special arrangement. I mean, it is a special school, right?" A busty girl asked a muscular girl next to her.

"Whether it is or not, we first need to find out what's happening." She looked at a girl with lavender hair and eyes who had a stoic expression. She also saw a plain boy with hazel eyes talking to a pretty girl with blue straight hair and light blue eyes. Her eyes then fell on a girl with two long braids and glasses. When she saw her staring, she freaked out.

"Oh my god! She's looking right at me! Just because I'm ugly…"

"What an eyesore." The glasses girl squeaked as a boy spoke. The boy had blond hair a shade darker than hers, while his eyes were a few shades lighter.

"What are you looking at?" he asked, coldly. She narrowed her eyes at him, already disliking his haughty attitude. The arrogant boy turned to the girl and boy that were laughing and talking. "How long do you plan on flirting? Let's get down to business."

"Business?"

"Why is this happening? Who is behind all of this?" The glasses girl started to mess up her hair.

"We're just being imprisoned!"

"You know what's more important? Where's all my stuff? My cell phone's gone too." They all checked their pockets and they all came out empty-handed. The guy with the afro predicted that this was a special orientation with his crystal ball.

"Does that actually work?"

"My fortunes are right 30% of the time," he answered, proudly.

"J-just 30%?" Suddenly, a nasally voice boomed from the speakers.

"Testing. Testing. You all can hear me right. Anyway, hello to all the freshman. Let us begin the entrance ceremony."

"See? This is how the school welcomes students."

"No that's not it." A teddy bear that was half black and half white popped out. On the white side, he had the features of a regular stuffed animal, but on the black side, the eye was a red lightning bolt and its mouth was shaped into a creepy grin.

"A stuffed animal?"

"I'm not a stuffed animal! I'm Monokuma, the principal of this school! Nice to meet you. Now, let's get this show on the road. Stand and bow. Good morning."

"Good morning!" the boy with the white uniform greeted.

"Don't listen to him!"

"Now, you are all the promising, young high school students who carry the hopes of the world on their shoulders. In order to protect and care for those wonderful talents, you all will be living together in this school."

"What are you saying?!"

"As for the time limit of this stay… there is none. You all will be staying here forever."

"So those steel plates were to keep us from leaving?"

"Yep. No one can hear you yell or scream. Anyway, for whoever wishes to leave, they will have to play by a certain rule. It doesn't matter how you do it, only people who have killed someone will be able to leave this place. That's all there is to it." He started to list the different ways to kill someone. "How exhilarating. A situation full of despair where the hopes of the world kill each other…" He started to walk between the students as they gave shouts of protest. Then the delinquent with the weird hairstyle stepped in front of him.

"This joke's gone too far!"

"Joke you say? You mean like your hair?" He snapped and picked the bear up by the neck, shouting threats. "AHH! Acts of violence against the principal is against school rules." Then his lightning eyes started to blink, the tempo gradually getting faster.

**FIRST P.O.V. **

My eyes widened as I realized what was happening. "Quick! Throw him!"

"What?"

"Now!" He followed my orders and threw the bear across the gym. Monokuma then exploded into millions of pieces. Gasps filled the room.

"H-he freakin' exploded!" Monokuma popped out again, completely unharmed.

"I'll let it slide this time, but the next time someone breaks a school rule, they will suffer a great punishment like that one."

"What is the meaning of this?" I asked, stoically. He looked at me.

"Hmm, you should show some emotion. Come on, smile like you do with your patients." I didn't falter. He sighed. "I should've known you wouldn't show any emotion easily. But if not happiness, why not distress?" He then showed me the heart-shaped locket. _My _heart-shaped locket. I gasped as my eyes widened in horror. I felt my neck to find the accessory gone. I tried to snatch it out of his paws and he took a step back, me narrowly missing. Anger creeped into my body.

"Give it back," I growled. Monokuma laughed.

"Hahaha! Now you show me some emotion. Maybe I should throw this in the incinerator."

"Give it back!" I yelled, surprising the others who have only seen my emotionless side. Monokuma smirked.

"Fine, I don't care for this worthless thing anyway." He threw it down and I quickly caught it before it could touch the ground. I glared, hatefully. I checked the inside of the locket, making sure everything was the way it was. "This ends the entrance ceremony," he said and left.

"So the only way to leave is to kill someone."

"How… absurd."

"Hey, this is a lie right?"

"The problem here isn't whether or not it's a lie… It's whether or not there's someone idiotic enough to take it seriously." Everyone was silent. That was when we realized.

This isn't a school filled with hope… It's a school filled with despair.

* * *

"Why don't we introduce ourselves and how we got into the academy? I'll start. My name is Asahina Aoi. I'm a Super Duper High School Level Swimmer!" the perky, busty girl spoke, trying to lighten the mood.

"I'm Oogami Sakura. The Super Duper High School Level Fighter," said the muscular girl.

"I am Ishimaru Kiyotaka. I was chosen because I am a Super Duper High School Level Hall Monitor!" The boy with the white uniform said, dutifully.

"Oowada Mondo. Gang Member." A tension filled the air.

"I-I'm Fujisaki Chihiro, the Super Duper High School Level Programmer," the short girl continued, shyly.

"Hagakure Yasuhiro, yes I am. Super Duper High School Level Fortune Teller!" He said, pulling out his crystal ball.

"Yamada Hifumi. Super Duper Doujinshi Writer!" the fat one explained.

"I'm Celestia Ludenberg. The Super Duper Gambler." The curly haired girl said, with a sweet smile.

"Kuwata Leon, baseball player," he said, ruffling his red hair.

"Enoshima Junko. I'm the Super Duper High School Level Gal," she smirked, flipping her pink hair.

"I'm Maizono Sayaka. The Super Duper Idol." Her blue eyes shined with innocence and kindness.

"M-my name is Naegi Makoto, I'm the Lucky." He smiled, feeling plain.

"Kirigiri Kyouko." Everyone was silent, waiting for her to continue. When she didn't they just left her be.

"I-I'm Fukawa Touko… Super Duper Author… Stop looking at me!"

"Like I said, such an eyesore… Togami Byakuya. Elite." The cold guy said. Then everyone turned to the last girl, who was sitting silently. She looked up.

"Sakimoto Hikari. Super Duper High School Level Doctor/Scientist."

"You were picked for two things? Amazing!"

"It's not like I was chosen for something good." The tension grew thicker as they all registered that they were trapped. "This is a very unfair… game as Monokuma would call it."

"Why would you say that?" Kirigiri asked.

"It's obvious. If someone did decide to kill someone, some of us have a clear advantage. Some of us are stronger than others." Hikari gestured to Oogami and Oowada. "Some of us are more quick-witted and sharper than others." She looked at Kirigiri, Celestia, and, and Togami who didn't flinch. "And some of us have the innocent and cute factors that can deceive others." She turned her gaze to Maizono and Fujisaki.

"You can't accuse people just because they're stronger or are nicer," Naegi said, frowning. She looked up.

"I don't remember ever actually accusing anyone. You all asked me a question and I just answered, honestly. If it makes you feel better, then I'll tell you that I have an advantage over you too. I'm a doctor, so I know how to dissect you all and I'm a scientist, so I know how to make chemicals that would poison you." Everyone's blood ran cold and they had a slight shiver run up their back.

"Are you saying that you're planning on killing one of us?" Togami asked.

"No, Naegi just thought that I was accusing people for no reason, so I thought I should give you a reason where I could be accused also. Like I said earlier, I'm just answering the questions that you guys give me." Hikari frowned. "Don't ask me questions that you won't like the answers to."

"B-but you're a doctor, right? So that means you would rather help than hurt."

"Maybe, maybe not. You are the only one who can judge what kind of person I am."

After a brief silence, Oogami spoke. "We should all check the school to see if we can find anything useful." The students went to different parts of the gym. Oogami and Asahina stood by the steel walls.

"Do you think you can do it?" Asahina asked. Oogami pulled her arm back and punched the wall with a mighty grunt. The wall didn't even make a dent."

"Alas, even with my strength it's impossible." The others turned on their electronic student handbooks.

"Woah, this is super cool!"

"It didn't work," Asahina announced.

"Same here." Oowada and Kuwata were on the stage, looking at the desk that Monokuma popped out from. "Damn it."

"We can't lose hope!" Ishimaru clenched his fist. "I'm sure there's a clue somewhere that will help us get out."

"Yeah! Moping about it wouldn't help anything!"

"That's right."

"I doubt it would be that easy," Hikari said.

"Why would you keep saying things that make us lose hope?" Asahina asked, glumly.

"I'm just stating the most likely choices, so that you won't get as much of a shock later if we really can't get out. I'm being logical. Think about it. He's gathered some super smart and super strong people here. Like a programmer, a fighter, a member from a gang family, or the elite son of a rich family who is most likely to have connections everywhere. If he has done that and is confident that we won't be able to escape then he this school must be fully escape-proof."

"She's right," Togami agreed. "We can't expect for escaping to be easy."

"I don't need you to support my obviously logical theory," Hikari hissed. He just rolled his eyes in response.

"Well, I guess we have to look around the entire school."

"I'll go by myself," Togami said, sharply.

"What? Why?"

"Because there might be someone here who is already planning on killing someone."

"But that's…"

"Not true? There's no guarantee."

"Hold it! You're not gonna get away with being that selfish!" Oowada ran in front of him.

"Humph. Move out of my way, Plankton."

"What did you say?! Looks like you want a good beating."

"W-wait!" Naegi tried to stop the two. "What's fighting amongst ourselves gonna achieve?"

"Huh? Such admirable words. You tryin' to lecture me? You think you can tell me what to do?!"

"T-that not what I-"

"Shut up!" He pulled his arm back and threw his fist towards Naegi's face. Naegi closed his eyes and waited for the impact, but when he felt nothing, he opened his eyes. Everyone stared with wide eyes. Even Kirigiri, Togami, and Celestia looked slightly surprised. Hikari was standing in front of Naegi, with Ooowada's fist in her hand.

"Don't waste time like an idiot starting fights," she said and tightened her grip on his fist, making him wince. Then she dropped his hand and walked out of the gym.

"Wait! Aren't you going to partner with someone."

"That cocky guy isn't wrong," she replied, simply before disappearing out of sight.

* * *

Hikari ran her fingers over the spines of the books in the library that she had found. She saw a file that said 'Unsolved Murder Cases'. She took it and opened it. The first one said _'Murder Cases of Genocider Syo.' _"Genocider Syo? That sounds kind of familiar…" She started to read. "Genocider Syo, a bi-polar murderer that has, so far, only killed men. Syo ties her victims with a rope. They are hung up with their arms spread out like in a cross. All of the victims have Syo's signature scissors stabbed somewhere in their body. On the wall that the victim was tied against are always written the words 'Chimidoro Fever'. Hmmm." Hikari heard the door open. She quickly returned the file on the shelf and turned around. Togami walked in with Fukawa trailing behind him. "Oh, it's you," she said to Togami. He just ignored her and sat down at a table. "The meeting is in," she looked at the clock, "10 minutes. Why are you coming in just now?"

"Why is that any of your business?" She rolled her eyes.

"Fine," she said and left.

TOGAMI P.O.V.

I watched as that girl… Sakimoto Hikari walked out. She's irritating, cocky, and stoic, but logical and intelligent. I smirked… I like her.

HIKARI P.O.V.

I had my lips formed into a straight line. That guy… Togami Byakuya…. What kind of terrible parent names their kid Byakuya? Anyway, he's irritating, cocky, and stoic, but logical and intelligent. I scowled… I hate him.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: And that's the first chapter. If you like it, REVIEW!**


	3. Chapter 2: Please

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Dangan Ronpa.**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey, everyone, new update! I hope you all like it. I know Hikari is Mary-Sue-ish and I'm doing that on purpose, but I will try to show Hikari's flaws as the story goes on. In this chapter, you will see a little bit of Hikari's vulnerable side.**

**CHAPTER 2: Please…**

The 16 students all gathered together. "Hey, my bad, Naegi. You too, Sakimoto," Oowada subtlety apologized.

"I-it's okay, Oowada-kun. I mean, it's only natural that we'd be on edge in this situation."

"Yeah, didn't feel a thing," Hikari said, with a smirk. Oowada scowled, but stayed quiet.

"Everyone is here now. We can safely assume that no one would commit a murder in front of all these people," Celestia said.

"Then let's start. The first official meeting of Hope's Peak Academy is now open!" Ishimaru yelled. "Let's exchange the results of our investigation and see what we come up with!"

"I tried breaking the entrance, but that's not happening. That thing's as hard as steel!" Oowada said.

"Of course. It _is _steel after all," Celestia pointed out.

"We found a staircase to the second floor in one of the hallways."

"But there was a shutter in our way, so we couldn't go up," Oogami and Asahina stated.

"So basically, we can only investigate the first floor," Kirigiri summed up.

"The dorm rooms were pretty comfortable… if you can ignore the steel plates and security cameras," Yamada said.

"I don't think we have to worry about food because the kitchen was full of it," Fujisaki said.

"But with 16 of us, how long would it last?" Hikari asked.

"Oh, we don't have to worry. According to Monokuma, it refills every day!"

"You met that bastard of a bear?!" Hikari growled.

"Y-yes. He popped up when I was looking in the fridge, then disappeared again," Fujisaki answered, nervously, flinching at Hikari's fierce tone. Ishimaru coughed.

"Anything else to report?"

"We've didn't find an exit and the culprit is still anonymous. Your "investigations" were all meaningless!" Fukawa shouted, biting her lip. Hikari glared at her.

"At least _they _found something. You just sat there doing nothing, but following "Mr. High-and-Mighty" over there." The others were surprised to hear Hikari defending them. Hikari noticed their looks and said, "Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying this to be _nice _or anything. I just hate when people say things like that when they haven't done a single thing to help. And we did confirm one thing."

"And what's that?"

"That we are completely and utterly trapped in a building with no. Escape. What. So. Ever."

"Aghhhh!" Fukawa screamed. "What are we supposed to do?!"

"Monokuma said it. If you want to leave, just kill someone," Togami explained.

"Don't take death so lightly," Hikari snapped.

"Can't we do anything?!"

"Adapt."

"What?" Enoshima asked.

"We need to adapt," Celestia repeated.

"Are you saying that we need to accept the fact that we're trapped?"

"It is not the strong or the smart who survive, it is the ones who are able to adapt. Based on that, I have a proposal."

"A proposal?"

"On the student guide, they mentioned something about "Night Time". Let's add a rule of our own. One that bans wandering around during Night Time. That's all."

"Huh? W-why?" Fukawa questioned.

"Isn't it obvious? Without that rule, we would all spend every night, cowering in fear. Cowering about whether or not someone will try to kill us." Everyone paled. "But unlike school rules, we can't forcefully make you enforce them. It all depends on you and whether you cooperate or not." Everyone was silent.

* * *

Days passed and the 16 students continued to look for an exit that seemed to not even exist.

"Nothing's gonna help if we keep searching the same places over and over again," Kuwata said, agitated.

"Are we really gonna be trapped here forever? Is no one going to come save us?"

"It's alright, Fujisaki-san. I mean we'll be rescued soon!" Asahina said, enthusiastically.

"What do you mean by rescued?"

"Huh? Well, it's been three days already. The police must be doing something!"

"HAHAHA!" A voice cackled. They gasped and turned to Monokuma who appeared out of nowhere. "The cops? You're relying on the cops? And honestly, if you want to leave that badly, then just kill someone. I have to say, for an entitled generation, you sure have some guts. But don't you think that's a little boring?"

"No matter how much you provoke us, we won't kill-"

"I got it! I was wondering why no one has committed a murder when they have a location, characters, and setting right out of a mystery novel. But I realize that there's something missing."

"What's the thing that's missing?!"

"Basically, a motive. So, I've left you all a gift in the AV room."

"The AV room?"

* * *

**IN THE AV ROOM**

They all gathered in the AV room and they each sat down in a section with their own monitor. They all had received a DVD with their name written messily on it, once again, in crayon.

**HIKARI P.O.V.**

I inserted the DVD into the player. I sat down and pulled the headphones over my head as the video started to play. On the screen was a video of me, smiling and laughing kindly with my patients or observing chemicals with my fellow scientists and talking about new liquids that could change the world for the better. I gave a slight smile as I watched this. I loved spending time with my patients and making new chemicals. In both of my jobs, I'm able to do things that can help other people. Then my smile fell, replaced with a horrified look. All of my patients were dead and the other scientists were also dead, seeming to be involved in some kind of chemical explosion. Then my mother showed up on the screen and I screamed as I heard the words that came out of her mouth.

"AHHHH!" I screamed as I fell out of my chair. Togami, who was sitting next to me, quickly looked over at me, surprised by my sudden outburst. I looked around and saw Naegi trying to comfort Maizono before she ran out. Naegi followed and most of the others did also. Now the only ones that were left were Fukawa, Kirigiri, Celestia, Togami, and me. Togami let out an exasperated sigh before speaking.

"You're face." My hand flew up to my cheeks and they were indeed covered with some liquid.

"W-what are these? T-tears? T-there's no way… I haven't cried on years. What is this? What's going on? What's happening?"

"You're crying," Togami said, simply.

"That's impossible…" My mind couldn't process what was happening before I lost it. "I'm sorry, mother! I'm sorry! Forgive me! I'm sorry! NOO! Don't leave me!" I heard voices around me, but they all seemed to be in a blur.

"…psychotic!" a nervous girl's voice said. She's… Fukawa?

"Togami-kun….I think….help…." This person sounded like a female, yet emotionless. I guess, Kirigiri?

"How….supposed….help her?" A male's voice. He sounds arrogant. He must be Togami.

"…should… embrace." Now, this voice is sickly sweet. This is obviously Celestia.

"….Why?!" Togami, I think.

"…calms….heart."

"….Fine."

"And carry…. Bedroom." I continued to let out incomprehensible shouts. Then I felt warm arms wrap around me. Although their arms were skinny, from their firm biceps, I could tell it was a male.

"Wha-?!" I struggled, but they wouldn't let go. I heard a low whisper in my ear.

"Calm down," he demanded. Although his tone was harsh, for some reason, I got comfort out of it. My struggling slowly came to a stop before I wrapped my arms around his neck. Then I felt one arm wrap around the back of my knees and another arm around my back. I felt myself being swooped into the air. I opened my eyes and my dark cerulean eyes met with light azure ones. Togami was carrying me bridal-style.

"Why are you…?"

"I'm only doing this because you shouldn't shut your mouth. It was getting annoying," he said. I blinked before nodding. I wrapped my arms around his neck tighter and buried my face into his neck. He tensed for a second before relaxing again.

"What are you? Why are you doing this? What do you want us to do?" Kirigiri asked Monokuma.

"What I want to make you do? Well, I want to… make you fall within the depths… of despair." I gasped into Togami's neck and he subconsciously tightened his grip. Cackles were heard throughout the whole building as Togami carried me to my bedroom. Another tear fell out and landed on his neck, but he stayed silent. He finally reached the room with my name plate on it.

"Your key?" I gestured to my skirt pocket with my chin and he pulled it out. He maneuvered me, so he was carrying me with one hand and opening the door with his other one. After walking in, he gently laid me on the bed before turning around. I swiftly grabbed his sleeve to prevent him from leaving.

"Don't leave. Please stay…just until I fall asleep."

"Why should I stay?" he questioned, harshly.

"Please…" I whimpered, pathetically. He sighed before sitting in the chair by the desk.

"If you don't fall asleep within five minutes, I'm leaving." I nodded and closed my eyes, already feeling drowsy. But before escaping my problems in Dreamland, I spoke one last sentence.

"Thank you…." I didn't hear a response.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: So, how was it? If you liked it, REVIEW! I hope you all liked my attempt at TOGAMI/OC fluff. **


	4. Chapter 3: The Murders Begin

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Dangan Ronpa.**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey, sorry I haven't updated lately. I've been having new ideas for a bunch of different stories that I'm writing and am flopping around. And I was at a camp with my class the past few days, but I'm back now. Hope you like this new chapter. There's not a really any Togami X Hikari moments in this, but please bear with it. Reviews are greatly appreciated!**

**CHAPTER 3: THE MURDERS BEGIN**

Hikari slowly awakened, her vision a little blurry. She rubbed her eyes until her vision returned to their original 20/20. She sat up and saw that she was in her own room. "Why am I-?" Then her mind flashed back to when she was in the AV room. She had burst into tears. Togami had carried her back. She grabbed his sleeve and forced him to stay until she fell asleep. As she realized all of this, she let out a groan. "I can't believe I let some arrogant stranger see me at my weakest." She got out of bed and looked around the room. She caught sight of a note on her bathroom door.

_A notice from Principal Monokuma._

_ Each room comes with a bathroom, but please be aware that water will not run during Night Time. Also, only the girls' doors can be locked. Lastly, I have placed gifts in all your rooms. I hope you rack your brains around them. Enjoy!_

Hikari cursed. "So we can't take a shower during Night Time, huh? And what are the small gifts?" She opened a drawer of the desk and found it. It was a small tool box. She closed the drawer and growled. I looked over at the wall of my room and it was decorated with a large katana and two guns hanging next to it. "Tch, just filling the rooms with weapons." She saw the clock and read that it was already morning. They all agreed to have breakfast together every morning to ease their worries, so she left for the dining hall. Everyone was already there except for Togami and Maizono. Hikari sat down next to Asahina. Then a few minutes later, Togami came in. Hikari quickly averted her eyes as he sat down.

"Togami-kun, why were you late?" Ishimaru asked.

"I just over-slept a little," he answered. Fukawa frowned.

"It's because of that _girl _last night that started cry-" Togami cut her off with a sharp glare, to which she squeaked. Everyone looked at the two in confusion, except for Kirigiri, Celestia, and Hikari.

"Hey, Togami. Did you see Maizono on your way here?"

"Why would I have seen her? I came here straight from my room." Naegi turned pale.

"I-I'm gonna go check on her!" he exclaimed and abruptly left the room. Everyone stared after him in surprise. Hikari sighed.

"This 'school'… is the worst."

"You think?" Oowada growled. Then they heard a scream. They knew that voice.

"That voice… It's Naegi-kun!" Asahina noticed. They all ran to the hallway where the dorm rooms were. One door was opened and they sped into it. Before Hikari ran in, she caught a glimpse of the name plate.

_'Maizono Sayaka.' _Hikari followed them in and her eyes widened. The room was a mess. The walls had scratches on it. The table was overturned. A katana still in its sheathe. It looked like a fight occurred. The bathroom door was opened. Hikari and the others gasped. Naegi had fainted on the floor, but that's not what they were looking at. Maizono sat, propped against the wall. A dagger was buried deep inside her stomach. Blood splattered all over the walls. The 14 of them all came to the same realization Naegi had.

Maizono Sayaka, Super Duper High School Level Idol… has been murdered.

* * *

Naegi woke up to the faces of Asahina and Fujisaki. "W-where am I?"

"In the gym. You fainted. Oogami-san carried you here."

"So it wasn't a dream…" He gasped. "What about Maizono-san?!" Silence fell over the gym. They had grim looks on their faces.

"Maizono Sayaka is dead," Togami answered coldly. Hikari stepped on his foot at his uncaring reply. Naegi flashbacked to the scene of Maizono with a knife stuck in her stomach. He got up and started to run, but Ishimaru grabbed his arm.

"Where are you planning on going?!"

"Isn't it obvious?! I've gotta… Maizono-san…"

"Stop! Calm down, Naegi-" Naegi snatched his arm away from his grip.

"We've checked it over and over again. Maizono Sayaka is 100% dead." Hikari glared at Togami again before turning to Naegi. Her eyes softened, which was only noticed by Togami, Celestia, and Kirigiri.

"I checked everything… Maizono is gone…"

"Then what's the point of being here?" Naegi clenched his fists. "What the hell are we doing in damn gym?!" Hikari's expression didn't change, but there was a flash of hurt in her eyes. She backed away and avoided Naegi's eyes.

"We're not here because we want to be," Kirigiri stated, noticing Hikari's hurt expression.

"T-then why?"

"Monokuma, obviously!"

"Of course we objected to it. We said, 'What are you doing when someone had just died'? But…"

"I was the one who suggested that we obey him for now," Kirigiri admitted.

"Kirigiri-san…"

"We're the captives here. We need to avoid recklessly opposing the enemy, in order to prevent more casualties."

"Maizono-san was killed by that guy… By Monokuma!"

"That's not true!" A nasally voice opposed. They all turned to find Monokuma standing on the podium. He raised his right arm. "You can believe me on that."

"Monokuma…"

"I wouldn't do anything that goes against the point of this school life. I was famous in the safari park for being twice the stickler for rules compared to other bears," he stated proudly.

"Then who else…"

"Oh, don't play dumb. Maizono Sayaka was killed by… one of you guys!" They all gasped and turned cautiously at each other. Hikari narrowed her eyes.

"What's wrong? You all look so confused. One of you killed Maizono-san in order to graduate. That's all. That's the rules. It's not anything bad."

"But…" Monokuma continued to talk as the all stared warily.

"Be honest! If you're the culprit, step forward!" Ishimaru demanded.

"Even if one of us as the culprit, there's no way that they'd admit it!" Fukawa said angrily.

"Hey, if the culprit were to be one of us, wouldn't they be able to graduate?" Togami questioned, matter-of-factly.

"Upupupupu! That's too naïve! Devilishly naïve! Hellishly naïve!" Monokuma yelled. Then he proceeded to tell them about a school trial. In the trial, they try to figure out who the culprit is. If they vote for the right person, the culprit will be 'punished'. However, if you choose the _wrong _person, the culprit gets away scot-free, while everyone else is 'punished'. They learned that by 'punished', it really meant 'executed'. Enoshima started to object and Monokuma ran down, saying that she'll have to beat him first. She slammed a foot down onto his face.

"There, you happy?"

"What about you? I told you that acts of violence against the principal is against school rules. Save me, Spear of Gungnir!" A beeping sound got louder and faster. It all happened so fast. One second, Enoshima was smugly standing on Monokuma's face and the next second… spears were stabbed through various parts of her body.

"I-Isn't this messed u-up?" Those were her last words. Everyone stared in shock as the spears pulled out of her body and fell to the ground. Hikari ran over to her side and quickly looked over all her wounds, even when she was almost certain that she was dead.

"I was trying to keep unnecessary deaths to a minimum, but I guess I needed to show you in order to teach you a lesson. You understand now, right? Do your best with the investigation!" And with that, he disappeared.

"A 'lesson'? Just for that?"

"At the very least, we know that Enoshima Junko wasn't the culprit," Togami said. Togami, Kirigiri, and Celestia stood next to the body. Hikari was bent over it, looking at the spear marks. "She's dead, just leave it," he told her.

"Let's begin investigating. We can't let the dead keep dragging us down," Celestia added. They looked at them incredulously.

"Saying it like that…"

"I believe I said it before. No matter who the enemy is, those who fail to adapt will be the first to die. They reaped what they sowed." Celestia smiled brightly. Something in Hikari snapped.

Asahina screamed, "That's too cruel!" Hikari stood up.

"We should first figure out who the culprit is. If we don't we'll all be executed," Kirigiri said. Hikari walked up to Celestia. They all watched curiously. Then she did something unexpected, once again. She raised her arm and swung it down at an inhuman speed, and slapped Celestia across the face. Everyone gasped. Togami blinked at her in surprise. Celestia's mouth was slightly open in shock.

"Don't take death so lightly and don't treat the dead with such disrespect. Enoshima stood up for her beliefs instead of turning the other way like a coward. She was brave. You have no damn right to judge her," she spoke, her voice laced with venom. Then she turned around and walked towards the doors.

"Where are you going?" Togami asked. She stopped and looked back.

"I'm 'investigating'," was all she said.

* * *

**CELESTIA P.O.V.**

She just slapped me… What an interesting girl… But with a defying personality like that, she will surely be killed. I should get some ice for this… It's starting to bruise.

* * *

**TOGAMI P.O.V.**

Sakamoto slapped Celestia, the Super Duper Gambler. How amusing. But she shouldn't act recklessly. She's interesting and I would like to observe her a little more… She has a strong arm, being able to slap her so hard and catch that Plankton's punch. She just gets more interesting as time passes.

* * *

**HIKARI P.O.V.**

I lost my temper and composure. How undignified I must have looked. I read through my student handbook. I had heard that people have been avoiding and suspecting Naegi because of something that was written in here. That's when I found it. Maizono Sayaka had died in Naegi's dorm room's bathroom. I furrowed my eyebrows. That's impossible… The sign I saw definitely said Maizono on it. I went to the crime scene room and saw Maizono's name plate. "Why…"

I went into the bathroom and saw her broken wrist with some gold paint or something on it. In the handbook, it also talked about a broken crystal ball under the button that opened the shutter. The last time they saw it, the shutter had blocked their entrance to the incinerator room, but someone must have thrown the crystal ball through the shutter and hit the button because they needed to burn something. That something was a shirt. Then I saw the famous 11037 dying message that everyone was talking about. But when I looked at it I saw something else. I've spent years learning English and living in America for various severe injuries or diseases and for observing new chemicals and inventions. The first thing I saw was not numbers. This mystery is far too easy.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: If you liked this chapter, REVIEW! You guys might think that I'm making Hikari mary-sue because she was able to figure the mystery out so quickly, but I'm not. I was able to figure out the culprit easily and I'm in the 7****th**** grade. **


	5. Chapter 4: The First Trial

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Dangan Ronpa.**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm sooooo sorry that I haven't updated for so long! I had a few projects and stuff for school and I was also busy writing chapters for my other stories. But I'm back. Enjoy!**

* * *

**We don't have to let those fears stop us.**

**-Anonymous **

* * *

**CHAPTER 4: THE FIRST TRIAL**

Everyone waited with a sick feeling of fear in their bodies. Naegi was the only one who had not arrived yet. When he finally arrived, everyone had given him the cold shoulder. Hikari sighed. At this rate, Naegi will surely be blamed. They all walked into the elevator and waited for the despair to begin. No… It had already begun.

* * *

They took in the sight of the courtroom. There were podiums forming a circle and Monokuma sat comfortably in a chair at the front of the room. In two of the podiums were pictures of Enoshima and Maizono with a red X painted over them.

"What are those?" Kirigiri asked.

"Don't you think it's unfair for them to be left out just because their dead? Sakimoto Hikari _was _saying to treat the dead with respect." Hikari watched everything with a careful eye that she had gotten from years of experience of being a scientist and doctor. "Why are there 17 seats… when there were only 16 of us?" Monokuma waved his hand uncaringly.

"Oh, no reason. It just means that the room can hold up to 17 students." She narrowed her eyes at his vague answer.

_'17 seats? That seems like too much of a coincidental number. There aren't many courtrooms, or any rooms in general, with exactly 17 seats,' _Hikari thought to herself.

"Now, let's begin the classroom trial!"

"Is the culprit really among us?" Naegi asked.

"Yes, positive!"

"Alright. Everyone close your eyes. If you're the culprit, raise your hand and step forward!"

"Are you an idiot? Like hell, anyone would do that."

"Upupupu. Now, let's start the debate!"

"How do we even begin?"

"Well, the weapon was a kitchen knife! There's no mistake about it!"

"Well, duh!"

"It's an important detail. That means that someone had gone into the kitchen," Naegi explained.

"So that means whoever was in the kitchen is the culprit?"

"Wait, Naegi couldn't have done it," Asahina declared. "I was in the canteen with Sakura-chan all day."

"If I may ask, who is Sakura-chan?" Celestia asked, curiously.

"That is me," Oogami answered.

…..Silence.

"I had tea with Asahina last night."

"I was scared, so I practically forced Sakura-chan to stay with me."

"I-if you guys are accomplices, then y-you can say whatever you want," Fukawa accused, shakily.

"Well, even if you had an accomplice, the culprit would be the only one who graduates."

"It says so in the student handbook," Togami stated.

"So that means that even if you had an accomplice, you wouldn't benefit from it," Hikari concluded from beside Togami.

"W-well, if it wasn't you guys, then w-who took the knife!? Hurry up and tell us, you swimming idiot!"

"Swimming idiot?!"

"Only two people were at the kitchens last night."

"The murder victim Maizono Sayaka-chan herself and…" Asahina trailed off, not wanting to say it.

"Well, hurry up," Togami demanded. Asahina looked uncomfortable when a voice spoke.

"Me." Everyone turned to look at Hikari. "I was the other person who went into the kitchen last night."

"Y-you?! Then you're the culprit!" Fukawa shouted, accusingly.

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but it wasn't me. I came in before Maizono because when I was in there, the kitchen knife was also still there."

"Who can support your excuse?" Togami challenged. Hikari didn't flinch at the others cold tones, as if saying that they know that she's the culprit.

"Asahina and Oogami," she answered.

"Eh?" Asahina looked confused.

"Do you not remember? Yes, I did grab the knife." Gasps filled the room. "But I never took it out of the kitchen." Oowada growled.

"Quit talking in riddles and get to the point!"

"I was hungry last night and as a doctor, I know what foods are best for me. Oogami and Asahina saw me cut an apple into slices and immediately put the knife back."

"Is that true, Asahina-san?" Naegi asked. She nodded.

"Yeah, I remember."

* * *

**FLASHBACK TO LAST NIGHT**

_Oogami and Asahina sat at the counter as they drank their tea when the door opened. Hikari nonchalantly walked in. Asahina shifted uncomfortably. She was wary of Hikari because she was one of the few who seemed not to be fazed at all by this whole thing. Hikari grabbed three apples, a plate, and a knife before walking to the counter where they sat. "May I sit here?" she asked and gestured to the seat beside Asahina. Asahina slowly nodded and Hikari sat. The three sat in silence as she cut and peeled the apples. Hikari got up and placed the knife back in its holder and sat down once again. Asahina started to get even more uncomfortable when a plate was place in front of Asahina and Oogami. They stared questioningly at her, but Hikari avoided their eyes. "I can't eat all of this… so you guys can have some if you like." The two blinked, surprised. Asahina broke out into a big grin while Oogami had a soft, knowing smile on her face._

_ Hikari had noticed how uncomfortable Asahina was around her, so to lessen the tension, she had offered apples. Oogami inwardly chuckled. _'What an odd girl.'

* * *

**PRESENT**

"So the person who took the knife… was the victim herself, Maizono Sayaka," Togami repeated.

"I think we all got that, Four-eyes," Hikari told him, bluntly. Snickers were heard throughout the courtroom as Togami glared.

"She could have taken the knife for self-defense!" Naegi defended.

"No matter what the reason, this means that someone had taken the knife from Maizono and killed her with it." Naegi looked down.

"Hey, Naegi," Hikari called. He looked up. "Remember, this is a court trial that decides whether we live or die. We must not let our emotions get the best of us… For it could cost, not only your own life, but also everyone else's." Everyone was silent as they thought about what she had just said.

"Naegi still isn't cleared of suspicion," Togami pointed out.

"There is evidence that the culprit isn't Naegi-kun," Kirigiri revealed.

"What?"

"The door knob of the bathroom was destroyed," Hikari said.

"What does that have to do with anything? It was locked from the inside, so he probably just broke it to get in," Oowada retorted.

"That's not true!" Naegi went on to explain about how the boys' dorms don't have locks on their bathrooms and that his door was poorly fitted and that you had to push it a certain way to get it to open.

"Then why would the culprit think that the door had a lock on it?" Celestia questioned.

"They probably mistook it for a girl's room, Maizono's room to be exact," Hikari predicted.

"So it was someone who didn't know about the room swap?" Fujisaki said, timidly.

"T-that's everyone, BUT Naegi!" Fukawa exclaimed. Everyone started to get rowdy as Hikari took a glance over at the culprit. _'This person's sweating buckets. The culprit doesn't even realize how much they were accusing people.' _The noise finally got to her when she snapped.

"All of you, SHUT UP!" The room quickly became silent. "Thank you. Now before we start again, I would like to say something to all of you narrow-minded fools. Like I said earlier, if we get this wrong, then all of us are dead, so quit accusing every person you can and actually use your tiny brains for once." Everyone stared at her. Some looked afraid, some were hateful, and others were just plains shocked. "Now are there any doubts or questions that you have."

"I do," Asahina said. "How did the culprit get into Naegi's room in the first place?"

"What other way is there… other than to let them in herself?"

"That's impossible!" Naegi declared. She raised an eyebrow.

"How so?"

"Last night, Maizono-san was scared, so she came to my room and asked to switch with me. I told her not to open the door for anyone and she agreed."

"What if the fact that she was scared was a lie?" Kirigiri asked.

"What?!" Kirigiri showed them the letter that Maizono has written, asking someone to come to her room and to check the name plate to make sure that it was the right room. Naegi started to protest.

"Naegi, don't forget what I said about your emotions," Hikari reminded.

"I checked for imprints on the notepad, the notepad that was in your room."

"But why would the murderer have gone to Naegi's room instead of Maizono-chan's?"

"Because they switched the name plates," Hikari explained. "You may not have noticed in when we were rushing into the room, but I happened to catch a glimpse of it. If you didn't look at the handbook, then the culprit wouldn't have easily gone into Naegi's room."

"But why would you invite someone over after swapping rooms?"

"Isn't it obvious? Maizono was planning a murder, so she was going to switch the name plates back afterwards, and blame Naegi for it," Togami stated.

"But why-"

"Because she wanted to leave," Hikari cut him off. "I told you that some of us have the innocent and cute factor that can deceive others. You saw the way she broke down last night. When people are desperate, they do bad things."

"T-then does that mean that you're planning on k-killing someone too?" Fukawa asked her.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, judging by the way you practically jumped into T-togami-kun's arms last night, sobbing your eyes out, I think we could call that a m-mental breakdown also!" The people who were not there to witness the event stared, surprised, at Hikari and Togami.

"Fukawa," Togami growled. "I told you not to speak about that."

"We're going totally off-topic. We are in a life-or-death situation here! We can't afford to waste time!" Hikari scowled, but the light pink that dusted her cheeks were visible. "Now we are forgetting about one very important clue."

"What is it?"

"Maizono-san's dying message," Naegi realized.

"That 11037 thing?"

"Shouldn't that girl know? Isn't she a Super Duper Programmer?" Oowada glanced at Fujisaki.

"Well, I actually couldn't make any sense of it."

"Of course, you couldn't. Because they aren't numbers."

"The dying message… spelled out the culprit's name!" Naegi exclaimed. "If you turn it 180 degrees, it turns out as 'Leon'. That's your name, right, Kuwata Leon-kun?" He turned to the red-headed baseball player.

"What the hell are you talking about?! I didn't do it!"

"If you didn't do it, then why did you try to destroy the evidence?"

"The burnt shirt and shatter glass ball. You tried to get rid of your blood-stained shirt by burning it, but found that the incinerator was blocked off by a shutter."

"So you used Hagakure-kun's crystal ball to throw it through the shutter and hit the button which opened it. To most that would be an unthinkable idea, but because of your status as a Super Duper Baseball Player, you were confident that you would hit it. Although, after throwing the shirt in, you failed to notice a part of the shirt melting off," Naegi finished. Kuwata began to scream insults and curses. Hikari scrunched her nose in disgust at the vulgar comments.

"But there is also other evidence! The screws of the door knob were taken out, which means the culprit used their tool set. If it wasn't you, then yours should be brand new." Monokuma announced that it was time to vote and they all guiltily pressed Kuwata.

"That's correct! Kuwata Leon is the one who killed Maizono Sayaka."

"Kuwata, why?"

"Why? I had no choice… I was about to be killed… IF ANY OF YOU EVEN MADE ONE LITTLE MISTAKE, YOU COULD VERY WELL BE IN MY SHOES RIGHT NOW!" Kuwata broke down crying as Monokuma said it was time for his 'punishment'.

"I've prepared a very special punishment for the Super Duper High School Level Baseball Player, Kuwata Leon-kun." Monokuma pressed a button.

Kuwata was tied to a pole as thousands of baseballs came shooting out at him, the speed getting faster and faster. When the machine finally stopped, everyone watched in horror as Kuwata's unrecognizable body fell to the ground. Some cried, some screamed. Even Togami, Celestia, and Hikari had sweat running down their face. Hikari resisted the urge of her doctor instincts to rush over to Kuwata's dead body.

"I-I can't take this," Fujisaki sobbed.

"If you can't take it, then I suggest that you sever any feelings you have for the outside world and accept that you will be living here forever," Monokuma told them. No one could say anything in response.

* * *

As they were all about to disperse, Togami called Hikari out. The others watched curiously. "You knew who the culprit was before the trial even started, didn't you, Sakimoto?"

"What are you talking about?"

"This." He held up a notebook with words written in it.

**CLUES:**

**Murder Weapon- grabbed by Maizono**

**Naegi's Room- Maizono planned to place blame on Naegi**

**11037- Leon**

**Shattered Glass- Thrown by Kuwata**

**Burnt Shirt- Kuwata's shirt**

**Culprit- Kuwata Leon**

"You dropped this as we left the courtroom. You knew all along yet you didn't say anything. Why?" She was silent for a second before speaking.

"Because all of you need to also be able to figure things out by yourselves. If I had said this from the beginning, Naegi or anyone else wouldn't have needed to think about anything. You all need experience in solving these. If I or Kirigiri-san who also contributed very much to the trial, were to die, then who would solve them? I believe that all of you will become very good at finding clues, especially you, Naegi. I can't just solve everything for you. And this was a particularly easy one, but that doesn't mean that I'll be able to solve the next one." Togami was expressionless for a moment then smirked. He walked over to Hikari and bent down, so their faces were a few inches apart. Hikari resisted taking a step back.

"You're such an interesting girl. I feel like I won't get bored with you here." Hikari couldn't help, but to stare into his cunning azure eyes. "Are you mesmerized by me?" Hikari snapped out of it.

"O-of course not! And don't treat me as if I'm your plaything!" She huffed and walked back to her room. Togami was staring after her when he realized that everyone was staring.

"What are all of you looking at?" he asked before following Hikari suit.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: How was it? If you liked it, REVIEW!**


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